If you have been living under a rock for the past month, the worst-kept secret in the NFL is that the Tennessee Titans are drafting Miami Hurricanes QB Cam Ward with the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
But what happens next? The Titans' draft and develop mantra means that they didn't make many big additions in free agency. They'll instead be looking towards the draft to fill some offensive holes around Ward. As currently constructed, Brian Callahan;s WR2 right now is either a second-year UDFA or Treylon Burks, and neither plan is especially appealing.
Wide receiver is a big problem, but it isn't the only problem. After combing over the team's pre-draft visits, there are three players whose talent, fit, and projected draft position could align perfectly for the Titans throughout the 205 NFL Draft.
Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
Would it be a "reach" if the Titans drafted Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams at No. 35 overall? While Missouri wideout Luther Burden III is the more talented prospect, Williams is the better fit for what the Titans want and need at the position.
Burden took most of his snaps inside as a slot receiver, so that is where he is most likely to play in the NFL (though he could transition to the boundary, it just makes his projection more complicated). William is different, playing his snaps on the outside as a true "X" receiver at Washington State. He also played alongside Ward in 2023 and Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz in 2022, making him a natural fit.
Slot players are much easier to find later in the draft, and Calvin Ridley is the team's Z/flanker receiver. Those factors, combined with all the connective tissue between the Titans and Williams, make him such an easy projection to this roster.
Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
The Titans have been sniffing around running backs this offseason, and that includes Martinez, who met with the team during the pre-draft process. While Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are backs that make people miss in space with elusiveness and linear speed, Martinez would rather run through your face.
Another player who competed alongside Ward, Martinez has a skillset that suits what the Titans need, and he would have extensive knowledge of the parts of Miami's playbook that Callahan will try to incorporate this season.
Dont'e Thornton Jr., WR, Tennessee
If the Titans want a slot receiver later in the draft, this is not their guy. Dont'e Thornton Jr. tried his hand as a slot receiver in 2023, and it wasn't for him, but he showed game-breaking potential as a deep threat on the outside in Tennessee's offense in 2024.
Circling back to the earlier conversation at receiver, Williams is such an easy fit, but a player like Burden might be too good for the Titans to pass up on at #35. If that is the case, then the best way to integrate him into the offense immediately is to put him in the slot, but that still leaves the need for an X receiver. Thornton has the developmental potential required to eventually fill that role, at least as a role player to supplement someone like Van Jefferson.